The influence of team members’ and individual corporate entrepreneurship on unlearning process efficiency

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship (CE) and unlearning process efficiency, focusing on how team composition facilitates this relationship. Drawing on the diversity framework by Harrison and Klein (2007), the authors investigate how differences in CE level among team members affect the relationship between CE and unlearning efficiency. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample from South Korea, the authors collected data from 42 different teams to assess the levels of CE and the unlearning process efficiency among team members. Subsequently, the authors quantified differences in CE among team members, using Euclidean distance to measure separation diversity, to examine its effect on the unlearning process efficiency. Findings This analysis reveals that an individual’s CE leads to an efficient unlearning process. Furthermore, the separation level of CE among team members significantly moderates this relationship. Specifically, the authors find that smaller differences in CE levels among team members are more beneficial for achieving unlearning efficiency. Originality/value These results highlight the importance of considering team composition, specifically the CE levels of team members, to facilitate unlearning process and reduce the difficulties in driving change within the team.